North America·United States
Osage Nation is plugging abandoned oil wells faster after the BIA called them "not a federal function"
PAWHUSKA —
| Score | Meaning | Major U.S. outlets that covered it |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Fully overlooked ← this story | 0 of 13 outlets |
| 8 | Barely covered | 1 outlet |
| 6, 5 | Lightly covered | 2 outlets (6) · 3 outlets (5) |
| 4, 3 | Covered | 4 outlets (4) · 5 outlets (3) |
| 2, 1, 0 | Widely covered | 6–7 outlets (2) · 8–10 outlets (1) · 11–13 outlets (0) |
Provisional: AP, Reuters and CBS News block direct site search, and the other 10 outlets’ site search only loads in a live browser, so all 13 were checked through Google News and Bing News instead. Those checks were complete for every outlet.
Depth
Dig five layers into this story — from what happened to the full picture.
L1What happened
BIA Osage Agency superintendent Adam Trumbly: "The BIA–Osage Agency is not issuing plugging permits for orphan wells" plugged under the Interior program's tribal grants. The BIA told the Nation's Department of Natural Resources that wells without a responsible party are not a federal function.
L2Who’s affected
Osage residents and landowners on a reservation of about 1,470,559 acres. Reporting by Grist and Osage News found roughly 2,300 documented orphaned wells, though the true number may be higher. Crews have inspected at least 2,500 to 2,700 wells; "We keep finding new wells every quarter section we get into," said Fred Beartrack of the Osage DNR.
L3Why it’s quiet
Analysis · OVERLOOKED The change came through a revised grant guidance document, not a public rule, and was reported by tribal and nonprofit outlets.
L4Deeper impact
Beartrack: "They just said it's not their problem... Are all of these orphan wells our responsibility?" Former Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear, now on the Osage Minerals Council, wants a scientific and environmental review. The Nation's award is about $91 million over five years; asked if that is enough, Adam Peltz of the Environmental Defense Fund said, "No, not even close." Plugging one well costs $40,000 to $500,000.
L5Full context
An Interior Inspector General report found the Nation had plugged 14 of 290 planned Phase 1 wells as of Dec. 31, 2024. The 2021 infrastructure law funded well plugging, with about $150 million going to tribes and Osage receiving the largest share. Oklahoma has about 18,000 documented orphan wells and is believed to have more than 300,000 undocumented ones, Peltz said.
You’ve reached the bottom. Read the original reporting below.
Original reporting
EnvironmentEnergyTribal sovereigntyU.S.
This is an OVERLOOKED summary of the reporting above. Facts and figures come from the linked sources. Everything here is a fact unless it is labelled otherwise. Support this work.
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